Motorcycle Adjacent Podcast: Episode 7 – Shopping For a Second Motorcycle

Hey Everyone, in The Motorcycle Adjacent Podcast: Episode 7, we’re going to discuss an update on my 2022 Yamaha MT-09 SP Problems, Borrowing a 2017 Honda CBR300R to attend the Bucks County Covered Bridge Ride, and why I’m shopping for a Second Motorcycle.

2022 Yamaha MT-09 SP Update

In Episode 006 of the Motorcycle Adjacent Podcast, I explained how a bone-headed mistake led to my 2022 Yamaha MT-09 SP being down. I wish I could say that things have turned around since then, but unfortunately, I’m still unable to ride.

When we left, I had dropped my bike off at Martin Moto, and they were anticipating my Brake Caliper Assembly arriving in seven to ten days. Unfortunately, the day after recording, I got a phone call from John in the Service Department with some bad news. My part was back-ordered, and there was no estimated fulfillment time from Yamaha.

I thanked John for letting me know, and I decided to try my hand at sourcing my part. I found one on Partzilla, nearly $100 less than my original price. I placed my order, added expedited shipping, and waited for it to arrive. My order confirmation stated that my order would ship in two to three days.

The following day I received a notification that my order would be delayed, but it was expected to ship on Monday. Partzilla updated my ship date on Friday to reflect no current ETA on fulfillment. Frustrated, I had to call to cancel my order (I found it odd that I could place an order online but had to cancel it over the phone).

I tried a few other sources and struck out everywhere. It seemed like this part was simply unavailable. I decided to try the next best thing – maybe I could find a used Brake Caliper Assembly on eBay.

After a bit of digging, I found a Brake Caliper Assembly from a 2021 Yamaha MT-09 for roughly $120, but there was a catch – it was in the UK and would cost an additional $60 for shipping. I gritted my teeth and placed the order. Anticipated delivery on this item is roughly October 24th (3 Weeks).

To create a short-term fix so I could continue riding – I tried installing a thread repair kit into the brake caliper assembly. Unfortunately, this didn’t go according to plan, and my only viable solution is to forget about riding until the part arrives.

Bucks County Covered Bridge Ride v2.0

One of the most significant downsides of not being able to ride my Yamaha MT-09 SP was that I would miss attending the Bucks County Covered Bridge Ride with the guys from the WaltInPA Discord Server.

To join them, I started looking into the possibility of renting a Motorcycle from Twisted Road or Rider Share. There were a few bikes nearby, and the prices weren’t crazy. A 2020 BMW GS 310 caught my eye, and I thought it might be fun to toy around on a little bike.

I started to get second thoughts when I began reading the fine print. First was the cost of the motorcycle, additional insurance needed to be purchased, tire-specific insurance was strongly advised, and then there were rental fees.

The price quickly surpassed the advertised $85 per day, and I wasn’t getting a warm and fuzzy feeling about the rental process, so I bailed on that idea.

In a last-ditch effort, I reached out to my brother to see if I might be able to borrow his motorcycle to attend the ride. I wasn’t even sure he still had it since he posted it for sale a couple of months ago. Unfortunately, that idea fell through due to unforeseen circumstances, and it looked like there was no chance of attending the group ride.

The day before the ride, I got a surprise message from Untamed Ride. Unfortunately, his wife was under the weather and wouldn’t attend the ride as planned. But, knowing I wanted to go, she offered to loan me her 2017 Honda CBR300R.

The little Honda would be a drastic change from my Yamaha MT09, but I thought it would be a lot of fun and eagerly accepted her offer. Everyone laughed when I surprised the group by showing up on the little Honda. Despite the jokes, it was a lot of fun to ride.

When we parked at our first stop, someone joked about the raw power of my borrowed CBR300R. “You guys are out here thinking this is a casual cruise, but I’m in the back feeling like Valentino Rossi with the engine roaring – it is way more fun than it looks!”

The CBR300R is so much fun because it has an entirely different riding style. It doesn’t have the torque of a bigger bike, so you have to carry speed into the curves and maintain a high RPM.

With a motorcycle like my MT-09, I think you take the torque for granted. If you slow down too much or you’re in a higher gear, you don’t matter. You twist the throttle, and the bike accelerates. With a small 300, you don’t have that luxury. You must be more conscious of Speed, RPM, and Gear. That was what made the bike so much fun to ride.

By the time I returned the 2017 Honda CBR300R, I had ridden it roughly 120 Miles and had a blast doing it!

Chopperfett – Dumping the 360 Camera

During each episode of the Motorcycle Adjacent Podcast, I like to spend a little time and promote content from other creators in the Motorcycle space. I believe in “A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats” and think small YouTube Channels / Small Podcasts could use a little cross-promotion boost.

In this episode, I’d like to talk about a video from a channel I’ve been watching for quite some time – Chopperfett.

I recently came across a YouTube Video where Bret (ChopperFett) talks about dumping his Insta 360 One X2 Camera in favor of a fixed-position GoPro. This probably isn’t a popular opinion in the grand scheme of things. However, he lays out some terrific arguments for why the Insta 360 isn’t a great Motovlog Camera.

I’ve been grappling with the same struggles as of late and have been on the fence about phasing mine out. Don’t get me wrong, it is a fantastic tool, but it also comes with headaches.

I use it less and less between the lower resolution, significant gaps between files, and tedious workflow.

If you are a content creator and are on the fence about picking up a 360 Camera for your Motovlogs, check out Chopperfett’s video. He makes some great arguments and may change your mind.

Buying a Second Motorcycle

For quite some time now, I’ve been toying around with the idea of getting a second motorcycle. I don’t want something big or elaborate – I’m still thrilled with my 2022 Yamaha MT-09, but a backup of some sort would be a lot of fun.

The issues I’m currently facing with parts availability for my Yamaha have accelerated this process, and I have spent the last couple of weeks actively searching for my next bike. If there is one thing I’ve learned during that search, it is that Pre-Owned Motorcycle prices are outrageous!

A great example of this was a bike I stumbled onto through the Facebook Marketplace. It was an early 2000’s Kawasaki Ninja 250 with roughly 10,000 Miles on the odometer. The asking price was a staggering $5,000. Is a nearly twenty-year-old Ninja 250 a collector’s item or something? For $800 more, you would buy a brand new 2023 Kawasaki Ninja 400 with ABS and a Factory Warranty!

The little Ninja 250 was probably the worst case of Pre-Owned Motorcycle Pricing I have come across, but there are many other examples.

I came across a 2014 Suzuki GSX650F for $3,500. This model was considered a sales flop and only lasted a couple of years. It was basically a Suzuki Bandit dressed up in GSXR Plastics and was designed to be a “Cool” looking economical motorcycle.

I cross-referenced the asking price on Kelly Blue Book and found it roughly $200 below the current market value for an Average Condition bike. When I went to look at it, I learned that it had been dropped on both sides! The plastic was scuffed on the right side and seriously cracked on the left side.

I moved on from that motorcycle and found another in the dealership – a Honda CB500F. This one was a little more than I cared to spend, but I looked it over anyway. I couldn’t believe this bike had also been dropped and sported road rash on the plastics.

In all of my searching, there was only one motorcycle that I was interested in buying. It was a 2018 Suzuki GSX750S. It was a good-looking bike with low miles for $5,500. The problem was that it was over six hours away in West Virginia. By the time I got it here (Shipped or taking time off to go get it), it would have been just as expensive as what I could find locally.

This experience has taught me one thing – Used Motorcycle Pricing is crazy right now and hardly seems worth it. This is precisely why I put a deposit down on a brand-new motorcycle as my second bike. But that is a story for the next Episode of the Motorcycle Adjacent Podcast.

How is that for a Cliffhanger?

Closing:

Thank you for joining me for Episode 007 of the Motorcycle Adjacent Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, do me a huge favor and Subscribe. The Motorcycle Adjacent Podcast is available on YouTube, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, and Anchor.FM

Ride Safe, and I’ll catch you in the next one!

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